Tubeless tire and rim



jy 29, w47. R, BROWN 2,424,918

TUBELEss `TIRE AND RIM Original Filed Dec. 9, 1942 www PatentcdJuly 29, 1947 TUBELEss-Tma AND mM Roy W. Brown, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application December 9, 1942, Serial No. 468,336. Divided and this application January 7, 1944,'Serial No. 517,413

`This invention relates to flexible pressure containers, and more especially it relates to flexible, pneumatic tires. v

An object of the invention is to produce a tire and rim assembly adapted to be used in service with the air used as the medium for the tire lnflation pressure in direct contact with the inside ply of the tire.

f the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section through a tubeless tire and tire rim embodying the invention, said rim beinga'divided two-part structure with the elements thereof in separated relation; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the elements of the tire rim being drawn tightly together- This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 468,336, filed December 9, 1942, now Patent Number 2,354,446, dated July 25, 1944.

A Referring to Fig. l of the drawing there is shown there a tire 81 having the usual rubberized cord fabric body 82 having marginal inextensible bead portions 83 and a tread portion 84.y The interior of the tire is provided with a layer or skim coat of impervious rubber compound 85 which may be laminated to insure an impervious structure. y

As will be understood by those -familiar with the art the inner tire layer 35 is common in tubeless tires and it is to be understood that the tire 01 may be built and molded in any manner found satisfactory. The drawing illustrates tire tillV mounted for use in service as a tubelesstire. The tire 81 is mounted upon a wheel assembly |30 that includes a wheel disc |3| having a tire engaging ange |32 at its outer edge. 'I'he wheel disc |3| is operatively associated with an annular rim section |33 having an outwardly directed tire engaging flange |34 at one edge thereof and a radially inwardly directed flange |35 adapted to abut against a portion of the Wheel disc |3| formed at the other edge thereof. Rim bolts |36 extend through holes |31 to secure the wheel disc and rim section together to form a split rim and wheel unit. Bolts |36 are of sufficient length to permit the rim section |33 to be laterally spaced an appreciable distance from the wheel disc |3| when the bolts extend loosely .between the wheel disc and the rim section. A valvereceiving slot |39 is formed in the flange |35 of the rim section |33 which slot extends over half wayacross the section |33, as shown. A corresponding slot is formed in the wheel disc |3| and is adapted to.

2 claims. (cl. 152-401) be aligned with the slot |39 when the wheel is assembled.

A sealing ring |40 having outwardly extending flanges |4| and |42 is mounted between the marginal bead portions 83 of the tire 81. An anglevalve innertube valve stem |43 is attached to the base of the sealing ring |40 in any manner found satisfactory whereby a tire inflation medium such as air, may flow through the stem |43 into the tire 81. The outer lateral faces of the flanges |4| and |42 flare radially and laterally outwardly at a greater angle to the peripheral face ofthe base of ring |40 than do the inner lateral surfaces of the beads 81 with relation to the base of the rim section |33. In order that the inner lateral surfaces of said beads shall bear a definite relation to the angle of flanges |4|, |42, the said inner surfaces may. be molded while in contact with suitable inside bead forming rings to impart a determinate molded contour to said surfaces.

In operationthe mounting of the wheel assembly is accomplished by rst placing the ring |40 in the tire 81 in the usual manner of mountlng tire bead locking rings, tire flaps andthe like.

Then with the disc |3| removed from the rim y section |33 the tire 01, together with the ring |40, is placed in position on the rim section |33 with the valve stem |43 in position in the slot |39. Next the disc |3|, with its valve opening aligned with the slot |39 and the valve stem |43 projecting through said slot, receives the section |33 in bolted relation, the bolts |36 being used for this purpose. This manner of assembling will be understood by those familiar with the art and further discussion is considered to be unnecessary; however, it is to be noted by reference to Fig. 2 that the invention contemplates a width for the sealing ring |40, and the tire bead portions 33 which together area greater width than the width between the tire engaging flanges |34 and |32 when the members |3| and |35 are in contact. Consequently as the rim section 33 is drawn toward the disc |3| by tightening down nuts |44 the outer edges of the flanges |4| and |42 'of the sealing ring |40 will first engage the inner portion of the tire 81. As the members |33 and |3| continue to move toward each other the appreciable distance they were separated until they are in abutted relation the tire portions 83 are rmly clamped between the sealingring flange |42 and the rim section -flange |34 on one side of the assembly and between the flanges |4| and |32 on the other side. The sealing ring |40 is preferbly composed of spring steel so that as the tire 3 presses against the peripheral edges of the flanges I4I and |42 these ilanges will be pressed laterally inwardly, whereby a positive air-tight seal between the inside ofV the tire and the sealing ring is assured, since any fatigue or ow of rubber away from the pressure of the sealing ring |40 will be followed up by the laterally inwardly pressed spring steel flanges Mil and I 42. It is to be noted that upon first contact of the edges of the flanges Ml and |42 with the rubber l5 al.` 10

most a line contact is made which insures high unit pressure contact; however, as the edges of the iianges sink into the rubber more surface of the iianges become progressively involved thereby providing a limit to the distance the anges press into the rubber coat 85 whereby contact between said flanges and the fabric plies of the tire 81 is prevented. It is also to be noted that the contour of the bead portions 83 is molded to exact shape by the sealing ring used during the molding of the tire thereby establishing a positive relation between the tire sealing beads on a tire road rim and the tire bead portions. A

It will now be seen that applicant has produced a novel and useful tubeless tire not heretofore known and that applicants invention is a substantial contribution to the art, particularly so, in that it represents a reduction in the amount of rubber heretofore required to provide a, given tire mileage. f

Modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In combination a tire, metal tire sealing ring, circumferentially split tire rim and rim bolts, said tire having an inner coat of substantial vthickness, said coat being impervious to air, the inner surface of the bead portion of said tire being accurately molded to determinate contour with relation to said sealing ring, said sealing ring having side anges which extend radially and axially outwardly from the base of the ring, said flanges being flared outwardly from the base of said ring at such an ang1eand having lateralfaces of a contour that when mounting said ring in said combination the outer lateral peripheral edge portions of said flanges first engage the said tire inner coat when the said sealing ring is mounted in said tire and said tire mounted on said rim and the members of said split ri-m are progressively drawn together by said bolts. the relative shapes orsaid flanges and tire bead portion, and the thickness of said coat, being such that after said peripheral edge portions engage said coat additional surface areas ofsaid anges progressively are brought into contact with the tire bead p0rtion whereby said peripherie! edges are prevented from cutting through said coat and making contact with the tire fabric plies.

2. In a wheel assembly, a tire, a. tire sealing ring, circumferentially split tire rim and rim bolts, said tire having an inside coat oi' substantial thickness, said coat being impervious to air,

the inner surface of the bead portion ot said tire being accurately molded to a determinate contour relative to the contour of said sealing ring, said sealing ring being continuous and being composed of spring steel and having side flanges which extend radially and axially outwardly from the base of the ring. said ilangea being iiared outy wardly from the base of said ring at such angle and having lateral faces of such contour that the outer lateral peripheral edge portions of said flanges first make contact with the said tire coat when the said sealing ring is mounted in said tire and said tire mounted on said rim and the members of said split rim are progressively drawn together by said bolts, the relative shapes of said iianges and tire bead portions being such that after said peripheral edge portions engage said coat additional surface areas o! said ilanges progressively are brought into contact with the tire bead portions.

. ROY W. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record i`n the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Y Name Date Y 1,637,599 Ballew Aug. 2, 1927 1,547,205 'Wals Nov. l, 1927 1,991,594 Case Feb. 19, 1935 2,125,786 Hurlimann Aug. 2, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,232 Great Britain 1903 

